Yamaha announces a pair of soundbars-- the YAS-109 and YAS-209, both featuring native Amazon Alexa voice control and wifi connectivity with support for streaming services including Spotify Connect and Amazon Music.
The YAS-109 features built-in subwoofers for deep bass even in a compact size, while the YAS-209 includes a separate wireless subwoofer for flexible installation options and even more expressive bass. The built-in Alexa support provides volume control, and automatically lowers the volume of music or movies to help receive voice commands. The included remote has a dedicated button to initiate Alexa control, and Alexa can be muted or turned off completely when the soundbar is powered off.
The soundbars incorporate Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround decoding, as well as DTS Virtual:X. Yamaha Clear Voice technology improves the audibility and clarity of dialogue in movies and TV shows, making it especially useful in action scenes and live sports programs. Connectivity comes through HDMI input and output with ARC and both soundbars support CEC, enabling audio control with compatible TV remotes. An optical input allows use with other devices without HDMI connections. A free smartphone app provides an alternate means of control, and also allows the playback of music stored on the device via wifi.
The YAS-109 and YAS-209 are available from July 2019.